u.s. consulate is found to be living freely in benghazi where he is openly mocking president obama's threats to bring killers of four americans to justice. the question is, what are we going to do about it? and it want hard to see this coming. the yankees get swept from the playoffs in embarrassing fashion. the question is, was this alex rodriguez's last game in a yankees uniform? red sox fans hope not. it is "way too early" for this. good morning. joe and i will be taking over for willie this morning. you're watching "way too early," the show you have to show up on time for. >> damn. glad you're up with us early this morning. >> he just walked in. >> shoot us an e-mail at

waytooearly@msnbc.com. >> or tweet us and let us know why you're awake. >> or text awake followed by your spns to -- >> 622639. >> if you show up early you'll read the spript. >> the next 30 minutes will be your cram session for this friday, october 19th. there's a lot going on today, including a goof up by google. plus, president obama makes his sixth appearance on "the daily show" talking libya, his debate performance and weighing in on how joe biden looks in a pair of swim trunks. >> that's not pretty. >> have you seen joe biden in swim trunks? >> no. only carter. >> how was that party? >> it was a speedo. >> it's "way too early" for that. >> let's get to the news, live at 5:30 a.m. here at 30 rock in new york city. we'll start with 48 hours after president obama and mitt romney sparred in a combative, intense

debate on tuesday night, the two candidates found themselves face-to-face in a much different setting last night in new york city at the al smith catholic charity dinner. it's an event held about two blocks away. that's become a tradition for presidents to stop at. it gives them a chance to loosen up and have a few laughs before they become president as candidates. romney spoke first, poking fun at himself before telling a few jokes at the president's xprens. >> a campaign can require a lot of wardrobe changes. blue jeans in the morning perhaps, suit for lunch fund-raiser, sport coat for dinner but it's nice to finally relax and to wear what ann and i wear around the house. the al smith dinner surely lives up to its billing. usually when i get invited to gatherings like this it's just to be the designated driver. of course we're down to the final months of the president's term. as presidents -- [ applause ]

as president obama surveys the waldorf banquet room, with everyone in white tie and finery, you have to wonder what he's thinking. so little time, so much to redistribute. people seem to be very curious as to how we prepare for the debates. let me tell you what i do. first refrain from alcohol for 65 years before the debate. second, find the biggest available straw man and then just mersly attack it. big bird didn't even see it coming. and by the way, in the spirit of "sesame street" the presidents remarks are brought to you by the letter "o" and the number 16 trillion. campaigns can be gruelling, exhausting. president obama and i are each very lucky to have one person

always in our corner, someone we can lean on and someone who's a comforting presence without whom we wouldn't be able to go another day. i have my beautiful wife, ann. he has bill clinton. >> pretty good. president obama followed with some comments about his first debate performance before taking a few digs at his opponent. >> everyone, please take your seats, otherwise clint eastwood will yell at them. win or lose, this is my last political campaign. so i'm trying to drink it all in. unfortunately mayor bloomberg will only let me have 16 ounces of it. ultimately, though, tonight's not about the disagreements govern are romney and i may have. it's what we have in common, beginning with our unusual names. actually mitt is his middle name. i wish i could use my middle name. some of you may have noticed i

had a lot more energy in our second debate. i felt really well rested after the nice long nap i had in the first debate. although it turns out millions of americans focused in on the second debate, who didn't focus in on the first debate, i happen to be one of them. i particularly want to apologize to chris matthews. four years ago i gave him a thrill up his leg. this time around i gave him a stroke. there's a lot of things i learned from that experience. for example, i learned that there are worse things that can happen to you on your anniversary than forgetting to buy a gift. >> very good. we should mention both candidates ended their remarks exchanging compliments for each other. >> they were nice. that's the great thing about the al smith dinner. >> funny. >> every four years, right

before, of course, the election. hours earlier in new york city, president obama sat down with jon stewart on "the daily show." there the president faced questions about the administration's handing of the attack in libya and the communication problems that followed. >> we weren't confused about the fact that four americans had been killed. >> sure. >> i wasn't confused about the fact that we needed to ramp up diplomat security around the world right after it happened. i wasn't confused about the fact that we had to investigate exactly what happened. so it gets fixed. i wasn't confused about the fact that we're going to hundred down whoever did it and bring them to justice. >> i would say even you would admit it wasn't the optimal response at least to the american people as far as us all being on the same page. >> here's what i'll say. >> yes. >> if four americans get killed it's not optimal. >> right. >> we're going to fix it. >> right. >> all of it? >> all of it. >> the man suspected of helping to lead the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in libya says he has no plans to go into hiding.

a "new york times" report says abu ahmed spent two hours sipping mango juice and scoffing at the threats from american and libyan officials. he says he hasn't even been questioned by authorities. he says he's not affiliated with al qaeda but shares their views on theology. he also insisted although he was at the consulate the night of the attack he did not take part in the violence. meanwhile, a "wall street journal" report examines the time line. early intelligence suggested the violence came from a spontaneous reaction to an anti-muslim video. that is'sment began to change the night before. ambassador susan rice appear on the sunday talk shows on september 16th. she was not warned about the

changes before she went on the air. intelligence officials realized there were no protests at all, it would be weeks before the administration changed its narrative. >> mika, a lot of questions about how the debate changed the polls. with 18 days to the election, there's something of a mixed picture being painted by new polls out. gallup's rolling average showing mitt romney with a seven-point lead nationally, 52% to 45%. when it comes to the key battleground states, the nbc news/"wall street journal"/maris poll has president obama maintaining. this eight-point margin unchanged from a month ago. also, in wisconsin, another state he has to win, if he doesn't win ohio, in a state that voted republican and hasn't voted republican since 1984, the president is ahead by six points. 51% to 45% according to the same poll. a recent marquette poll in wisconsin shows the race neck and neck.

according to the latest nbc battleground map, if president wins both iowa and wisconsin, he could reach 270 electoral votes just by winning ohio. even if he were to lose florida, virginia and north carolina. >> with so much riding in ohio, yesterday former president bill clinton and bruce springsteen teamed up in the buckeye state and also in iowa to rally voters for president obama. >> mr. romney says i'm going to do all this, i'm going to just cut taxes for the middle class. i'm not interested in rich people, they'll pay the same percentage of tax they pay now. what does that do? he thinks we're dumb. we keep saying, show us your budget. where are your numbers? the president has given you a budget. he said you won't like all of it. it adds s 2 1/2 dollars to so

cuts. here are my numbers. where are your numbers? this guy ran bain capital and he's a business guy and he's highing his budget? that ought to tell you something. >> i'm here today because i've lived long enough to know despite the galvanizing moments in history, the future is rarely a tide rushing in. it's often a slow march, inch by inch, day after long day. and i believe we are in the midst of those long days right now. and i'm here because i believe president obama feels those days in his bones. for all 100% of us. >> okay. >> that's big. >> that's bruce. i like bruce. today former president clinton will stump in wisconsin on behalf of president obama. >> and mitt romney will be back on the campaign trail in the sunshine state where today he's receiving the endorsement of the orlando sentinel. central florida's largest newspaper. four years ago the same newspaper endorsed barack obama

for president. so obviously the romney camp thinks it's a pretty big deal. >> in business news, google's earnings came in earlier than expected because of a computer glitch. it was the company's results that drove down the company shares and google wasn't the only tech giant to miss the mark. let's get an early look at the markets with cnbc's karen cho live in london. karen? >> thanks, mika. the question is whether they hit a brick wall or if this is a hiccup for the stock. goog the shares hit an all-time earlier this month. investors looked at the google strategy and how it was earning revenue from search and mobile. many people thought it started to get the jump on facebook. if you saw the earnings announcement yesterday, there was concern that perhaps this is a company just in transition, a bit like facebook, chasing those advertising dollars. it hasn't fully executed the triple somersault and landed on its feet. there was an almost of course on the mobility, the acquisition that google is settling into the

company. there was that feature. some are also concerned that maybe google isn't with the trend and that is having an issue holding on to the search function. elsewhere microsoft shares disappointing in the after-hours trading session. it had warnings about what was playing out in the pc sector. so analysts a little bit concerned about its numbers as well. joe and mika, back over to you. still ahead on "way too early," the detroit tigers break out the brooms, sweeping a tired-looking yankees squad out of the playoffs and into early tee times. up next, we'll talk about sports and bill karins will creep around in the background. >> president obama plays to his base. the stunner late-night audience. actually that's the john heilemann demographic. we'll show you the best moments from his face-off with jon stewart. we'll also get a check of the weather when "way too early" comes right back.

cell ordered flooded in some big institutional investors, private investors, mutual funds, worried about inflation rising interest rates and declining dollar and huge budget and trade deficits. and all of them afraid the markets would plunge even more.

is this what i say? >> yep. >> now, look at that beautiful picture of -- how's that? >> that's good. >> as you wake up, washington, d.c. let's get a check on your weather from nbc meteorologist bill karins. bill, a recent victim of sexual harassment in the workplace, bill, we won't talk about it. let's just pretend, mika. >> no. >> mika gives atta boysp thisbo.

they do it in sports dugouts. >> i don't you all are sick. >> i think it makes bill uncomfortable. >> i'm dealing with it. >> deal with the weather, okay? >> thank you for soldiering on. >> the last time the three of us were together was mika's sleepover at her house. >> okay. >> no, seriously, i'm just uncomfortable at this point. >> oh, boy. >> what's wrong with him? >> this is trouble. >> this is big trouble. >> bill, speaking of trouble, what about that weather system moving up the east coast. >> we have airport issues this morning as we watch the heavy rain moving up richmond, showers and storms heading your way, a break for washington, d.c. numerous areas of rain developing around new york city and philadelphia. there will be airport delays likely as we go throughout the morning period especially, later this afternoon, further to the north. as far as the forecast goes for today, on and off showers and thunderstorms. the middle of the country, you're looking okay but still raw and cool, up around chicago and minneapolis. the weekend we get rid of the storm in the northeast and the great lakes.

it actually looks leak a nice weekend for most of us. i'm free this weekend, too, mika, in case you want to get together again. >> mika -- >> what's wrong with him? that's so gross. >> bill karins, thank you so much for the weather and giving us so much more than we asked for. let's go to the howard cosell of westchester county. time for sports. >> we start with the thursday night nfl game. the 49ers trying to rebound after an ugly loss to the giants on sunday. we pick it up in the third quarter. 49ers trailing by 3 before alex smith connects with lonnie walker. niners take the lead, 10-6. same score later in the third quarter. russell wilson gets pressured on the throw, lobs the ball into triple coverage and the 49ers come down with the interception. san fran wins this one, 13-6. niners improve to 5-2 on season. seahawks fall to 4- >> as you look at all the players on the field of this

incredible football game last nigh mika, you know what they all have in common? >> what. >> you don't know the names of one of them. >> i'm not messing up the names. >> you're not. >> i do sports now. the yankees were in detroit last night trying to avoid the sweep at the hands of the tiger. a-rod "new york times" lineup for the second straight game. top of the fourth, tigers up by two. miguel cabrera hits a towering two-run homer to give the tigers a four-run lead. >> kaboom. >> peralta goes deep to make it 6-0, tigers. yankees starter cc sabathia gave up 11 hits and 6 runs in less than 4 innings of work. >> thank god the yankees have a-rod. >> he gets a chance to hit with the tigers, up 8-1 but he hits a weak ground ball to the shortstop. he finished the game hitless in two at-bats. tigers, one out away from the world series.

jayson nix pops is up to prince fielr to end it. the tigers win, 8-1, and are headed to the world series, looking for their first title since 1984. the yankees are swept out of the postseason for the first time in 32 years. >> and their .157 team batting average was the lowest in a league championship since 1965. >> a-rod, he insured reporters that he has no plans to leave yankees. how much is he making? >> way too much money. you have people wringing their hands saying how horrible the yankees are. they had a bad series. >> yes. >> what happened over in the national league? >> in the nlcs -- >> you said from the very beginning, you said, joe, i think the tigers are going to sweep the yankees. you want a good series, watch the cards. >> the cardinals up two games to one. >> you heard her say that. >> the cardinals up two games to

one heading into game four against the giants. pick it up in the fifth. cardinals up by one, holliday hits a liner to center field. the dive but he can't catch it before it hits the grass. close play at the plate. the cardinals up 3-1. sixth inning, john jay drives one all the way down to the wall in the right center field gap. two runs come around to score and the cardinals start to pull away, 6-1. seventh inning, cardinals starter adam wainwright still on the mound gets hector sanchez swinging. one of five strikeouts over seven innings for wainwright. they are one win away from meeting the tigers in a rematch of the 2006 world series. >> that will also be a rematch of the first world series i ever remember, 1968, tigers and cardinals. what is it about the cardinals, seriously? this team always -- >> you don't bet against them in the post season. >> they trade their best player, the best player in all of

baseball. i swear to god, it must be the uniform. >> mika has the beltran uniform. she got that a long time ago. >> i know. she saw this coming. >> yes. >> seriously, i don't know how you picked the cardinals back in march at the sleepover. >> yes, at the sleepover she call her bookie and put the early bet on. good job, mika. >> i was uncomfortable with what you both showed up in. coming up at the top of the hour on "morning joe," president and mitt romney -- >> rabbit slippers seemed to be the thing to be wearing. >> the problem is that's all you were wearing. >> guys, i'm going home. >> president obama and mitt romney -- >> i don't know if we'll be asked back. >> that's awful. >> donny deutsch, help me here. >> the new msnbc poll numbers from crucial battleground states. when we come back, donny deutsch is here to watch president obama join jon stewart on "the daily

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i heard that too, actually. we told you at the top of of the show -- >> wait. hold on just a second. i have a quick question. >> yes. >> hey, john? >> yes, sir. >> does mika get everything this block or do i sit back. >> it's up to mika.

>> take him name out of the binder i asked you for. >> this is getting worse. i knew this was where it was going in this country. >> get rid of it. you can redact all of them. we told you at the top of the show that last night marked a momentary truce for president obama and mr mrp -- mitt romney. they were at the al smith dinner. if you want to sound smart tell your friends 1996 and 2004 were the only two election years since 1960 when two major presidential candidates were not invited to speak at the al smith catholic charity dinner. in 1996, the candidates were unable to make firm commitments to attend and in 2004, the foundation thought the issues of the campaign were too divisive to have the candidates speak. we told you earlier about president obama's visit "the daily show." now let's gather around the water cooler to watch some of

the president's lighter moments with host jon stewart. >> how many times a week does biden show up in a wet bathing suit to a meeting? just ballpark figure. >> i had to put out a presidential directive on that. we had to stop that. >> you have to put towels down. >> i have to say, though, he looks pretty good. >> i don't doubt that in any way, shape or form. still ahead on mika brzezinski's "way too early," where are you awake? your tweets, texts and e-mails are next. jack, you're a little boring. boring. boring. [ jack ] after lauren broke up with me, i went to the citi private pass page and decided to be...not boring. that's how i met marilyn... giada... really good. yes! [ jack ] ...and alicia. ♪ this girl is on fire [ male announcer ] use any citi® card to get the benefits of private pass. more concerts. more events. more experiences. [ jack ] hey, who's boring now? [ male announcer ] get more access with a citi card.

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